What Instead of Foscam?

abrogard

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I have used Foscam (clones) and they served a purpose - kept thieves away I think just because of their appearance.

But I didn't have a computer running software to monitor them continually and keep the pictures.

Nor were the pictures good enough for identification of miscreants beyond generalities: clothing, height, etc.

So now I want to put in a system that does it all.

IP so's I can connect with it when I am away.
Good definition for identification.
Maybe built in save of recordings or easy reliable computer software for this.

I am inclined to favour IP over CCTV because of cables but I'm open to persuasion. There's a power cable in any case with IP and now we've got ethernet over the power line don't we?

And CCTV would need to be linked into the web for remote viewing somehow.

I have read recently warnings about opening ports for your cameras. I've always done this. What's the problem? l'd like this angle covered.

I would like the most cost effective solution (fancy way of saying cheapest, but reliable).

I should state the application I guess: common suburban home. Cover exterior, garden walls, driveway.

Does anyone have any advice or can suggest a link?

regards,

ab
 

jrhoops

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you're going to have to search, this is a pretty open topic right now as you've posted with the request being to provide a digest of this entire site. The "sacrifice nothing" solution is a dedicated multi-homed PC (2 network cards) running BI with a collection of IP cams connected to a dedicated managed PoE+ switch. The Cams (dahua starlights if we are sacrificing nothing) are connected directly to and are powered over the ethernet cables from the PoE switch. The footage is managed/recorded/viewed by the PC with Blue Iris software via one of the network interfaces which you connect to this dedicated camera network you just created. The BI PC then connects to your normal network through its second network interface like any other node and your other PCs/Tablets/Phones connect to this BI PC for remote viewing/playback/etc. while at home. While connecting remote, configuring openvpn on your router for secure remote access allows you to configure all your devices to make encrypted connections to your home network treating them as though you are physically there by "tunnelling" all traffic to your home network and thus providing the same access to your BI PC. Again, sacrificing nothing, I prefer the asus line of SOHO routers, their firmware has a rather slick implementation of openvpn server and even client along with a host of other features.

Else you can buy a lorex package from costco or any cut-rate system from amazon, I dont think one package is really all that much better than the others, which will integrate alot of these features/requirements for you but will sacrifice quality (image, software, features) in the name of simplicity.
 

abrogard

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Thanks a lot for that. It will take me some time to digest it all.
Sorry to ask a question that asks for a digest of the whole site. That wasn't in my mind at the time.
You seem to have handled it okay, though.
I was just thinking I'd get some overall suggestions/directions like, perhaps:

(I'm making this up)

. CCTV is no longer optimal. IP cams are much better.
. Cheap Chinese IP cams now come with sufficient resolution.
. Yes, the port forwarding is dangerous fix it by using VPN as for instance this way: nnnnnn
. Cameras with built in memory are now available cost effective and w ould be the cams of choice.
. The best software is open source and is xxxxx
. The best setup still needs a pc to be dedicated to it.

And so. That kind of thing. Just general directions and a kind of update on the state of the art today - I'm always behind the curve, buying things the week before they go out of style... trying to avoid that..

:)
 

abrogard

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'All of my questions.' ? I only ask one: what's the go today?

Ask pc people and they'll tell you. Ask video card people and they'll tell you. Ask motor car people and they'll tell you. Ask ... anyone..

If 'all of my questions have been answered multiple times' then why not simply provide a link to any one of those answers?

But considering the essence of my (single) question is topicality it is at least possible that some of those 'answers to my questions' are now out of date.
 

jrhoops

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Thanks a lot for that. It will take me some time to digest it all.
Sorry to ask a question that asks for a digest of the whole site. That wasn't in my mind at the time.
You seem to have handled it okay, though.
I was just thinking I'd get some overall suggestions/directions like, perhaps:

(I'm making this up)

. CCTV is no longer optimal. IP cams are much better.
. Cheap Chinese IP cams now come with sufficient resolution.
. Yes, the port forwarding is dangerous fix it by using VPN as for instance this way: nnnnnn
. Cameras with built in memory are now available cost effective and w ould be the cams of choice.
. The best software is open source and is xxxxx
. The best setup still needs a pc to be dedicated to it.

And so. That kind of thing. Just general directions and a kind of update on the state of the art today - I'm always behind the curve, buying things the week before they go out of style... trying to avoid that..

:)
my no compromise solution addressed every bullet item on your list
  • I did not reference CCTV one time, all IP
  • I did not reference a cheap cam
  • I did not advise to use port forwarding, explicitly called for VPN
  • I did not advise SD card as primary, NVR all the way
  • I did not offer free software as optimal, Blue Iris is not open source
  • I advised a dedicated PC
I'm sorry you failed to read the response correctly
 

abrogard

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my no compromise solution addressed every bullet item on your list
  • I did not reference CCTV one time, all IP
  • I did not reference a cheap cam
  • I did not advise to use port forwarding, explicitly called for VPN
  • I did not advise SD card as primary, NVR all the way
  • I did not offer free software as optimal, Blue Iris is not open source
  • I advised a dedicated PC
I'm sorry you failed to read the response correctly
So am I. I did say it would take me some time to digest it all.

At the time I wrote my reply to you that was the state of play: I had not digested it all.

I was thrown off by the suggestion that I'd asked for a digest of the whole site which I read as intimating that I'd asked too much and I wasn't then aware that you'd proceeded to offer that digest.

So I responded by trying to show that I wasn't asking for much more than the knee jerk reactions of an aficionada spelling out the state of play to a newbie: chapter headings so to speak, basic overview.

I did read a little further into before replying - as far as 'sacrifice nothing' which I didn't read in the way you intend it. I think.

To me it was a little inappropriate inasmuch as 'sacrifice nothing' means the top of the line, the very best, which is where I never am because I can't afford it.

So I thought 'well that's not what I'm asking for'

But now I think perhaps you mean don't do without what's readily available (at various prices according to vendors and models) in the market now as proven technology in common use - i.e tried and tested onsite.

Your dot points here make things much clearer for me.

  • I did not reference CCTV one time, all IP
  • I did not reference a cheap cam
  • I did not advise to use port forwarding, explicitly called for VPN
  • I did not advise SD card as primary, NVR all the way
  • I did not offer free software as optimal, Blue Iris is not open source
  • I advised a dedicated PC
I see, yes, you don't reference a cheap cam. Is that to be read as meaning cheap cams are a no-no or is it simply that there are none with the requisite features?

And the software - I see you don't mention open source software as 'optimal'. Does that mean you find all open source software to be unsatisfactory?
 
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jrhoops

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no man let's back it up. as for my reading the advice across the forum is the starlight series of cams from dahua. It is the best bang for the buck, not enterprise or commercial "casino" grade but the best price/performance for the above average man who will take the time to optimize camera placement and configuration. The overall network/vpn config I outlined is considered the best bang for the buck and the safest config for security, performance, features and reliability. Anything less than that is pretty much all the same just get any "kit of the month" from costco or amazon, install the cams, get a decent picture and be done with it.

"the pretty blue thing" is this link looney2ns posted right after I posted:-------> Looking for some advice and direction!
 

abrogard

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thanks for that. I should have tried that blue thing... hovered over it at least... i frequently screw up like that.... i'm a bit retarded i think... too bad.

thanks for the directions, i'll see how I go......

:)
 
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